Distraction
by I'm a Nerd and Proud
Summary: AU: Denny harmlessly flirts with Izzie but she turns him down. When he returns because of heart failure, she meets Mrs. Denny Duquette. Denny/OC because there is none available on Fanfiction!
1. What Have I Done to Deserve This?

**Distraction**

 **Summary: AU: Denny harmlessly flirts with Izzie but she turns him down. When he returns because of heart failure, she meets Mrs. Denny Duquette. Denny/OC because there is none available on Fanfiction!**

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's but I do own my character.

Episode: _What Have I Done to Deserve This?_

Denny had finally stabilized; it was then that a petite brunette with raging green eyes pushed herself into the room, ignoring everyone as tears began to stream down her face. Izzie was about to yell at the woman to get out, because who exactly was this woman? She shouldn't be here; Denny didn't need any strangers around him. The woman moved to Denny's side and gripped onto his hands with her tiny pale ones; Izzie noted the slight shine to her nails, meaning the woman had recently painted them.

"Um Miss you shouldn't-"

"Why didn't you have them call me straight away, Denny?" The green eyed woman whimpered, her shining eyes staring at Denny with question and her pale skins had rivers of tears running down them. Izzie looked utterly confused as the woman gripped onto Denny; as much as she wanted to say she didn't feel _something_ for the man, she did have Alex; it bothered her to see someone else touching Denny.

Denny flashed her a weak smile, letting her hold his hand firmly. "I didn't want to scare ya," he said weakly; more tears rolled down her cheeks as she leant down and kissed his knuckles. Izzie's eyes nearly fell out of her skull at that. Denny realized she was still standing there and flashed her a weak smile too; her knees felt weak at the sight. "Atlanta, this here is Izzie Stevens; remember that doctor I told you about?"

Atlanta turned her watery green eyes onto Izzie; and then a smile broke across her face. She reached forward and pulled the blonde into a tight hug. "Thank you so much for taking care of my Denny!"

 _Her Denny?!_ Izzie's brain screamed; the thought of Denny belonging to anyone bothered her. "Erm…you are…?" Izzie trailed off, unsure.

Atlanta released the woman after hearing Denny chuckle; her tear covered cheeks reddened some as she moved back to Denny's side, grabbing his hand once more. It was then that Izzie noticed the ring on Atlanta's finger; dread filled her stomach, her brain praying for it not to be so…

"I'm sorry, so rude of me! I'm Atlanta Duquette, Denny's wife."

~x~

Izzie knew that she shouldn't have been so surprised; Denny was an attractive, funny man. He should be happy and no woman in her right mind would turn him down - _then why did she?_ She was surrounded by her thoughts, her stomach turning and twisting; she constantly felt like she would possibly throw up. She was hidden away in the basement, trying to make sense of this new information. Atlanta seemed like a kind woman, the perfect woman to hold Denny's hand while he was sick. But nowhere had it stated that Denny was married - had it? She remembered the last time she had set eyes on the sick man - he had been flirting with her, hadn't he? Why had he been flirting with her if he was married? Did he not care or did he not love his wife?

She was so buried in her thoughts that she didn't notice Meredith and Cristina walking over to the gurneys, taking their respectable seats; she didn't even hear them begin to chat about their "rough" days so far. As much as Izzie knew she should be mad at Meredith for hurting George, she couldn't bring herself to care in that moment; she had her own problems to deal with and they involved a petite brunette with shining green eyes.

 _Ugh_ , wasn't Denny interested in blondes anyway? She was sure she had heard him say that.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when Cristina pushed her, causing her to fall onto the gurney. "What was that for?" Izzie demanded.

"For not listening to us," Cristina stated as if it were that simple; didn't they understand that Izzie had enough on her plate as it was? "So why aren't you listening to us? I'm sure you're pissed about Meredith and George."

"Hey!" Meredith frowned, turning to her sandwich and glared at it. "Throw me under the bus, why don't you?!"

Izzie sighed, "I don't want to talk about Meredith and George. I have too much on my plate as it is."

This caught Meredith's and Cristina's attentions. "Is it because Denny's back in the hospital?" Cristina asked. Meredith and Izzie looked surprised by her forwardness. "Alex - he's freaking out. He thinks you're gonna leave him or something."

"Denny's married," Izzie finally admitted with a heavy heart. "What should I do? I know that I love Alex but I feel something for Denny too. I was sure he was interested in me before…but now…"

"Take it from someone who knows what it's like to have surprise wives come out of nowhere: don't get involved. Surprise wives don't like other women sniffing around their husbands." Meredith commented, giving Izzie an apologetic look. Izzie sighed loudly at the thought.

Cristina rolled her eyes at the two women. "What is it with you two? What happened to being interested in single guys?"

"Like your relationship is any better." Izzie pointed out.

"My relationship with Burke is perfect."

"Just like Meredith's was with McDreamy."

"Shut up!"

~x~

Atlanta sat beside her husband, holding his hand while reading out loud to him, _Harry Potter_. She knew he hated feeling weak but she also knew how content he was to listening to her speak. Atlanta hummed gently as she turned the page, listening to the slightly irregular breaths from her husband; she knew she couldn't do much about it because she wasn't a doctor, but she knew that Denny was suffering.

Once she finished the chapter, she set the book down and turned to Denny. "I love you." She leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek.

Denny flashed her that smile that still made her knees go weak. "I love you too."

Atlanta ran her fingers through his sweaty hair. Denny reached forward and set his hand on top of Atlanta's stomach, spreading his fingers across the small bump that only they knew about. She smiled when he whispered that he too loved their child that was growing. The couple was so lost in each other's company, that they didn't notice Doctor Burke entering the room with Doctor Stevens. Atlanta turned when she heard a slight cough and smiled when she saw the two.

"How far along?" Doctor Burke asked as he nodded to Izzie to begin checking over Denny.

"Twelve weeks," Atlanta said happily. "We were supposed to get to find out the gender tomorrow but I know that Denny needs his rest."

Izzie's chest tightened and she felt jealous of the small woman.

Denny turned to his doctor. "Can I still go? I know how much this means to her and I need to be there - find out what my kid is gonna be."

Atlanta blushed. "There will be time to find out once you're better, Denny. Right now -"

She couldn't finish her sentence because Denny's heart began to really fail. Atlanta began to cry when she realized that her husband may really die this time. Izzie pushed the pregnant woman out of the room, even though she was chanting, "Denny? Denny!? DENNY!"

~x~

Atlanta wasn't allowed to see her husband until the next morning; by then, she was tired, hadn't showered for at least two days, was holding onto her glass of orange juice like it was her life line and her eyes had black circles under them. Her eyes were reddened from crying so much during the night, not sure if Denny would survive to even find out their child's gender. Izzie found the woman asleep on some chairs in the waiting room; Atlanta looked like death.

She sighed as she moved forward and touched her shoulder. "Miss - Mrs. Duquette?" the named burned her tongue… "Denny wants to see you now."

Atlanta opened her eyes with some trouble but she looked more alert when she told Denny wanted to see her. "Is he okay? Is his heart fine?" Atlanta asked, jumping to her feet, her eyes showing how worried she actually was.

"For now, yes, Denny is fine." Izzie answered.

The woman pushed forward to Denny's room; she found him in bed, waiting for her with that cheeky grin she had learned to love so much. Atlanta raced forward and kissed his lips passionately. "Never scare me like that again!" She ordered, while Denny grinned.

Izzie looked on, wishing that she was Atlanta. "Can't get rid of me that easy," Denny said in his joking voice. His eyes showed some seriousness. "How's the baby?"

"The baby is fine." Atlanta brought his hand to the bump. "Just don't leave until you've seen it grow up, ya hear?"

Izzie couldn't continue to look at the sickly sappy couple; she turned and left the room, ignoring the way Atlanta kissed Denny so sweet or the way her own heart longed for that. Why couldn't she have said yes when Denny first flirted?

 _Oh yeah…because Izzie was supposed to love Alex_.

~x~

 **Hey, that is it. Would you guys like to read more about Atlanta/Denny? If so, leave a review down belong and let me know. Yes, I know, I** _ **should**_ **be writing "Hidden Truths" but I got the Denny feels so there, a Denny story. When I looked up some Denny/OC stories, I found NONE! I was like "Whaaaat?" How could there be more Denny/OC stories?! He was an epic character and deserved some loving.**

 **So here is the first Denny/OC story. I hope you guys liked it. Even if you didn't, let me know down belong. If you** _ **did**_ **like it, let me know as well! I will happily write more Atlanta/Denny/Izzie stories if you'd like. :) I just gotta know if there is people who would actually READ them! xD lol**

 **Xoxo,**

 **Nerdy**


	2. Green-Eyed Monster

**Distraction**

 **Summary (for this chapter): Izzie is jealous of Denny's and Atlanta's cute flirting. She wishes she was Atlanta.**

Episode: _Green-Eyed Monster_

It was during rounds that Izzie finally caught Denny without his guard dog - _his wife_ ; she hated the pregnant woman with a feisty passion. She hated seeing how sweet the small woman was or how kind she was to Denny; it made her heart break even more when she saw Denny kissing Atlanta.

What made it worse was that Izzie sought comfort from Alex. As much as she wanted to still be mad at him for sleeping with Olivia, Izzie needed someone to choose her. Something was drawing Izzie to Denny, it was like someone was pulling a string and she was helpless, that the only thing she could do was follow. Izzie hated herself for wanting a married man; a _happily_ married man too.

What made her mad though was that Alex had volunteered to wake Denny's breathing - she could take care of him _thank you very much_. As Izzie smiled at Denny, feeling her heart flutter when he had flirted back with her about his birthday, Izzie couldn't help but feel _hopeful_. Maybe Denny wasn't really happy with Atlanta but only stayed with her because of the baby.

Yet another reason why Izzie should stay away from Denny but she was so drawn to him; why couldn't she have him?

~x~

Atlanta had gone down to grab something to eat, something Denny had basically ordered her to do, so when she returned to the room to find Izzie Stevens with her husband, she smiled as she walked to her seat beside his bed.

"Good morning Doctor Stevens," Atlanta greeted the cheerful blonde, not noticing the way Izzie's face fell upon her entering the room. "Is Denny okay?"

"He's having some trouble breathing." Izzie simply said as she busied herself by looking at Denny's vitals.

Atlanta blinked, wondering why the doctor wasn't giving her more information but she wrote it off as there wasn't any more information to give. She sat down with her BLT and smiled at Denny. "How's your chest Jelly-bear?" She asked, setting her food down before gripping his hand.

Denny shook his head, with a fond smile, trying to ignore his hurting chest. "My chest is fine darlin', but why ya gotta call me fat in front of the doc?" Denny chuckled.

"I'm not calling you fat! Would you rather I call you 'love muffin'?" Atlanta playfully hit his hand gently, not wanting to harm him but also wanting to be playful. Izzie frowned, glaring down at the chart in her hand as she was forced to listen to the couple's playful bickering.

Denny laughed which led to him coughing some. "You make it sound like I've got a belly or something," he teased. Atlanta blushed while rolling her eyes. "I like all of your nicknames baby doll."

Atlanta's face turned bright red at hearing the innocent nickname. "Denny! We agreed not to use that nickname!"

Izzie was now curious; why didn't Atlanta like to be called 'baby doll'? If Denny called Izzie baby doll, her panties would be soaked and she'd swoon happily for him. Danny set his hand on his chest, chuckling at his wife's bright red face before turning to Izzie. "Atlanta doesn't like being called 'baby doll' 'cause when she wears lingerie, my favorite on her is baby doll; especially when she wears green. It brings out her beautiful eyes." Denny explained to Izzie. He didn't realize how jealous Izzie was becoming.

"Denny!" Atlanta gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "You can't tell people that sort of stuff!"

"Who is she gonna tell?" Denny asked his embarrassed wife. "She's a doctor - she can't tell nobody anything unless we say so. And she don't got our say so to tell people 'bout our dirty little secret."

"Do you see what I put up with?" Atlanta sighed, shaking her head at him. Izzie wanted to yell at her - if she had Denny, she wouldn't think of him as a burden. Denny was simply flirting with Atlanta and Izzie wanted nothing more than for Denny to flirt with her like this. Atlanta placed a kiss on Denny's scruffy cheek. "But I love you anyway, jellybean. Just please reframe from telling people about our sex life, okay? Or else there won't be any more lingerie for you mister."

"Hear that Iz? My wife is threatening me!" Denny pouted, but he was wearing his flirty grin that made all women's knees grow weak. He didn't see the ping of hurt cross across his wife's face at Denny's nickname for Izzie Stevens. Yes, Denny nicknamed everyone but the smile on the doctor's face didn't sit well with Atlanta. She noticed the way Izzie looked at Denny but she decided to ignore this fact.

~x~

 **What do you guys think? I got some lovely reviews and I'm so glad you're enjoying this. I was surprised I didn't get one hate review about how Denny is only meant for Izzie. Oh well, glad to know you enjoy Atlanta's and Denny's relationship. I decided to give an insight to their relationship - to see how they function. I'm thinking I will continue this but like little parts here and there.**

 _ **Reviews:**_

Guest: **Glad you're enjoying it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!**

H **: Why don't you write some? :) And I'm so glad I've got you hooked too! I'm hooked too. Not sure if I like Mina or Dlanta more! Err….is Dlanta the best for the couple? Erm…gotta think of a better ship name. You wanna suggest anything? ;) lol**

 **Anyway, thank you everyone for reading this. Please review below, it only takes like less than a minute. Byee!**

 **Xoxo,**

 **Nerdy~**


	3. Baby Duquette

**Distraction**

 **Chapter 3: Baby Duquette**

During Denny's stay, after being reassured by Doctor Burke many times, Atlanta was about to get in to see her OB/GYN about the baby's gender. She had been postponing it until her husband was better because she couldn't bare the thought of him not being there. That was how Atlanta found herself walking beside Doctor Stevens who was pushing Denny in a wheel chair.

Denny had refused to let Atlanta push him herself so Doctor Burke suggested Doctor Stevens take them. Denny had jumped at the chance to show off his new kid to his newest favorite doctor, Izzie Stevens. Trying not to let it bother her, Atlanta made small talk with the beautiful, perky blonde. "Think the baby will look like me?" Denny asked Izzie with a grin. "I hope it looks like my baby doll over me though. She's got all the good looks. Got no idea how I picked her up."

"If I remember correctly, you didn't give me much of a choice." Atlanta said with a giggle. They had finally reached the OB/GYN, so Atlanta signed herself in before a nurse brought them to the correct room. Doctor Addison Montgomery-Shepherd would be there shortly to check up on the baby. Both Atlanta and Denny were worried about the baby, especially fearing that it would end up with Denny's heart condition. They couldn't do much about it now, but it didn't stop them from worrying.

"You wouldn't trade me for the world." Denny grinned. "Who else is supposed to steal your body heat and make love to you?"

"My hero," Atlanta kissed his head before she got onto the bed. Izzie pushed Denny's wheelchair to rest right beside Atlanta. "So do you think it's a girl or a boy?"

"I want a girl. Boys are too rowdy." Denny joked.

Izzie looked and felt uncomfortable watching the man she had feelings for talk about a baby he was having with another woman. Atlanta noticed and wondered if Izzie had feelings for her husband.

Once Addison arrived, the appointment was able to begin. Addison asked if the couple wanted to know the gender and when they answered yes, she told them. "Congratulations. You're having a baby girl."

Denny got excited and squealed. Atlanta instead noticed the way Izzie's face darkened at the news and even that couldn't ruin Atlanta's excitement. "Baby, I've always liked the name Imogen for a baby girl. What do you say?"

"I think it's the perfect name Denny. Imogen Duquette has a nice ring to it." Atlanta said with a warm smile before kissing his lips.

A short short chapter but I am writing it on my cell phone. Usually I would never but I split water on my laptop. I need a new keyboard. :( so I will not be updating anything until it's fixed. Pass this information along. Thanks! And please review!


	4. Damage Control

**Distraction**

 **Chapter 4: Damage Control**

Denny had given Atlanta the slip after she went to get her craving food. He had snuck out of his room and basically rushed to get out of the hospital. He hated hospitals. When Atlanta returned to the room, she found an empty bed and nearly had a heart attack.

"HELP! Can someone help me?! My husband's missing!" Atlanta shouted as she rushed to the nurse's station.

Olivia moved forward to help the panicking woman. "Mrs Duquette you shouldn't stress yourself so much. It'll hurt the baby-"

Atlanta looked at the nurse with fierce eyes. "Not having a father will hurt my baby! So can you help me or not?" She demanded.

"You should not be speaking to me so rudely." Olivia frowned.

Before Atlanta could yell at the nurse anymore, Izzie Stevens was found bringing Denny back to his room. "Denny!" Atlanta cried with worry as she rushed forward and to her husband's side. "What happened?"

"He tried to make a run for it." Izzie explained gently.

By now, tears were rolling down Atlanta's cheeks. She was angry and hurt and she was lashing out, when she yelled at her sick husband. "How could you?! Fuck! I thought something had happened to you! I thought you were dead!" She screeched at him, tears rolling down her cheeks. Izzie looked shocked at the sight of a crying, yelling Atlanta as she helped Denny into his bed. Denny also looked surprised. "All you do is complain about not moving and being stuck in the hospital! You snap at me almost hourly because that's all you can do!"

"Mrs. Duquette, maybe it'd be best-"

Atlanta turned her rage filled eyes onto Izzie, angry tears pouring down her cheeks by now. "You can never understand what I'm going through, Doctor Stevens, how would you feel if you turned your back for just a few minutes and when you turned back around, your sick husband is missing?! Shitty, right?!" She knew she was being rude but she was just so upset. She was sick of Denny trying to give her the slip.

"Atlanta – "

She turned to Denny, shaking her head. "I just can't…not right now Denny…" And then she exited the room.

Izzie frowned, seeing how upset Denny looked as his wife stormed out of the room. She moved over and took hold of his hand, giving him a small smile. "She'll cool down, Denny. Just rest for now."

Denny looked up at Izzie. "She's my wife, Izzie… I love her like I've never loved anything before. I can't lose her. She's the only reason I'm still holding on…that and our little Imogen."

Izzie felt her heart tightened and she felt jealous of the petite pregnant woman. Why did Atlanta get Denny and Izzie get no one?

~x~

As Atlanta stood outside in the cool weather, she thought of her relationship between herself and Denny. She loved him so much that it hurt sometimes, but she felt frustrated with him too. How could he continue to put her through all of this? Why did he?

She wished she could see into his brain to understand why he was acting like he was. Yes, she knew he hated the hospital and not being free, but he had no reason to yell at her about it. She had been dealing with his mood swings for weeks now, silently taking the abuse because he was sick and he was upset. No one saw the pain she had to bare because her husband's heart was failing.

He apologized afterwards, but within an hour, he'd be saying those mean things again. Atlanta knew that Denny was hers and that he was her _it_ , but she still knew it was wrong the way he was treating her. Around the doctors and nurses, Denny was sweet and caring – the dotting husband and soon-to-be father but behind closed doors, he showed the darkened side of him. The side of him that actually scared her.

As she tried to calm herself down, standing in the light drizzle of rain, she thought of reasons why she stuck around. Denny was sick, he needed someone beside him of course, but maybe it was her that was causing his anger? While she was thinking of reasons to excuse his behavior, someone walked up beside her.

"Mrs. Duquette?"

Atlanta turned and jumped, seeing Doctor O'Malley standing in front of her, looking worried for her wellbeing. She blushed and nodded, knowing that something must be wrong with Denny. "Is Denny alright?"

"I… I assume so. Doctor Stevens is looking after him. Is… is everything alright? Shouldn't you be inside?" Doctor O'Malley said, eyeing her carefully.

She wiped her cheek, hoping that she wasn't crying again. "Hormones… They're funny little things, right?" She laughed weakly, trying to ignore the way her voice cracked.

Doctor O'Malley smiled gently before nodding. "Would you like to get lunch with me?"

"What? I – uh – yes."

He chuckled and led her to the cafeteria; they grabbed lunch and they sat by the windows, letting Atlanta stare out the window blankly. He didn't pry into her reasoning for crying outside in the rain; she was thankful.

"I met Denny at my job as a waitress in this small diner." Atlanta began, chewing her lip as she stared out the window. Doctor O'Malley sat, listening intently, giving her the time she needed to open up. "I, uh, I split coffee onto his lap. He laughed and said it was fine, that I should let him take me on a date for repayment for spilling the coffee on him. I said yes, feeling guilty. He was the perfect gentleman."

He continued to watch her, as Atlanta looked out the window, faraway in thought.

"I love my husband but the more time we spend here, the more I can see my Denny slipping through my fingers." Atlanta turned to look at the intern. Tears filled her eyes. "Doctor O'Malley, what do I do? I want to stay by his side, but I think… if this continues… if he continues to be so… _mean_ … I don't think our marriage is going to survive this."

Doctor O'Malley hated seeing how upset Atlanta was. "George."

"What – "

"My name is George." He said giving her a tiny smile. "I think you're the only person who will know what to do. Maybe, maybe it'd be okay to go home, spend some time there, spend time apart. Don't they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder?"

Atlanta stared blankly at the doctor for a moment. "What if he resents me for leaving the hospital?"

"I think, and maybe it's just me but, he doesn't control you. You can make your own decisions." George said, trying to support the confused pregnant woman. "We're going to do everything we can to get him the heart he needs, Mrs. Duquette."

She sniffled, "You can call me Atlanta. Everyone calls me 'Mrs. Duquette' and as much as I love belonging to Denny, there's more to me than just being his wife."

He just smiled at her, trying to give her the support she needed. "Does he have any family?"

"His parents but he doesn't talk to them much." Atlanta said gently. "They, uh, don't approve of our relationship. We had a small wedding and they decided not to come, stating that I was just with him for the money. But uh, I didn't know about any of it until after they sent us that letter."

George nodded. "Maybe Denny needs some time alone? To cool off?"

She touched his hand. "Thank you, George. Seriously. I think I will finish this meal and then go for a walk. You should probably get back to work."

He chuckled, nodded and then quickly finished off his sandwich before rushing off. Now alone at the table, Atlanta quietly ate her meal. When she finished, she cleaned up and decided to go for a small walk. She had a lot of thinking to do.

~x~

 **Hey, surprise. It's me. Miss me? Um. If anyone is an Avengers fan, you should go check out "And Time Went On" by Morena Evensong. Seriously. It's awesome! So good!**

 **Please review everyone. I'd love to hear your thoughts.**

 **Xoxo,**

 **Nerdy**


	5. Geronimo

**Distraction**

 **Chapter 5: Geronimo**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's nor do I own the song "Geronimo" by Shepherd. Check it out if you want an idea of what was going through my head while writing this!**

 **~x~**

 _Can you feel it? Now it's coming back we can steal it. If we bridge this gap, I can see you through the curtains of the waterfall._

Izzie decided that because Atlanta was AWOL, she would sit beside Denny and hold his hand, reassure him that everything was going to be alright and that she was there for him, so Izzie sat beside Denny whilst working on some scut. Denny was very reserved, almost mute and Izzie was beginning to worry about him. "Denny? Want to be play Scrabble?" Izzie offered, trying to get that Denny smile from him that turned her insides to goo.

He shook his head. "I want to get out of this damn bed, Izzie. I want out of here so I can go find my wife and comfort her." Izzie looked stunned by the raw emotion behind his words. Denny sounded very upset and she hated it. "I've been such an idiot… she's silently hurting constantly and I never noticed! She's always taking care of me but I should be the one taking care of her! For heaven's sake, she's having _my baby_!"

Izzie shifted her weight and looked down at the charts she was working on, unsure how to respond; it was like a someone had stolen her oxygen because she couldn't breathe. "She just needs some time to cool off."

"What if I die in this hospital? What if I never meet my kid? What if Atlanta is relieved when I'm gone?" Denny rambled, beginning to feel that sinking feeling that he would never get out of that hospital and that he would never meet Imogen.

"Don't say stuff like that!" Izzie frowned, jumping to her feet and setting her work aside, knowing that Denny was way more important. "She's damn lucky to have you, Denny. She'd be crazy to give you up!"

Izzie just wanted to make Denny feel better and that was why she was leaning down and then gently pressed her lips to his; Denny was stunned before he pushed her away, frowning. "Dammit Izzie! I'm – "

Atlanta was standing in the doorway holding flowers and now her eyes were filled with tears, threatening to go down her cheeks and within moments, they were. Denny looked stunned by the sight of his wife before he tried to jump into action. "Atlanta – I – wait!" Denny called to her, wishing to get out of bed to follow her, to hold her.

Atlanta walked right up to Izzie and then slapped the woman across the face, her eyes hardening as tears continued to roll down her cheeks. "Never kiss my husband again. And you're off this case. I want a new doctor – intern – whatever you are. You're fired." Atlanta said firmly.

"You can't – "

"I just did." Atlanta frowned at the stunned woman. "And if I ever catch you in Denny's room again, I will go to your chief of surgery and get you fired. Now get out!"

Izzie had no other choice but to scurry out of the room, shooting one last look at Denny as she held her cheek. Denny was staring at his wife so he missed her last fleeting look before Izzie had the door slammed in her face by the pissed off pregnant woman.

Denny continued to stare at his wife's back, wondering what exactly was going to happen. He could see how pissed off she was at Izzie, but he had no idea how pissed she was at him. "I, Atlanta, you gotta believe me. I pushed her off me."

"I saw everything," Atlanta turned to face him and made her way to his side. "I know that you didn't kiss her, that _she_ kissed _you_. I saw you push her away before you saw me, so I know it wasn't you trying to hide an affair or anything, but Denny… I am a lot of things and one of them is that I'm jealous. I don't share. I love you and you're _my_ husband, I just… I see the way she looks at you and it makes me so mad! Please… tell me you aren't looking for another woman just because I'm… I'm _fat_ …and emotional…"

Denny lifted his arm and Atlanta found her way into his arms, laying her head where she knew his weak heart was still beating, still fighting. "I love you Atlanta Duquette. I've loved you for a long time, so please… never call yourself fat. You're beautiful and you're carrying our baby." He rested a hand on her stomach and he smiled gently. "You're doing the one thing I never thought I'd ever get the chance to have. You're giving me a family, Atlanta, you've given me a reason to keep fighting. Thank you."

By now, tears of joy were rolling down her cheeks and she happily pressed her lips to his, pulling him closer and giving a happy sigh. "I love you Denny, but I… I can't do anymore of the yelling, okay?"

"No more yelling. If I'm being mean, you gotta tell me. Knock some sense into me, okay?" Denny asked, leaning up to kiss her lips again.

Atlanta sniffled but returned it, making sure to remove any trace of Izzie from her husband's lips. As the couple enjoyed each other, Burke had reassigned George to Denny's case and the intern was standing outside with Burke. "Shouldn't we go inside?" George asked, staring at the couple. "I mean… we got the call. We have a heart for Denny."

"He's been waiting a very long time, O'Malley. Just trying to think of a way to tell him…" Burke said before they both stepped into the room. Atlanta pulled away from Denny's lips, but stayed tucked in her husband's arms. "Denny, we've found it."

Denny looked stunned by Burke's words.

"We got you a heart, Denny." Burke explained further, smiling.

Denny's whole face lit up and as Atlanta looked at her husband, she saw her Denny shining through and she knew that with this new heart, their marriage would be fine. They just needed to get this heart and soon. Atlanta and Denny kissed each other to celebrate the news, unaware that Izzie was staring at the couple longingly from outside of the room, ice pack to her cheek where Atlanta had slapped her.

 _When I lost it, yeah you held my hand, but I tossed it. Didn't understand, you were waiting, as I dove into the waterfall._

~x~

 **I hope you aren't all too upset about the wait, I'd like to point out that I've been crazy busy lately and have had no will to write. :( Literally, no will to do anything! But, I was watching something on facebook and I thought "huh… Atlanta would react that way". It was the scene when Izzie yells at Denny about the heart and why he can't die. The "What about me?" scene. Check it out if you're up to it. Anyway, please review. I love hearing from you guys and it makes me more willing to write or at least try. ;)**

 **REVIEWS**

 **LittleGinger1216: I'm glad you've enjoyed it so far. I do plan to finish it, but the question is when I'll have the will/chance to. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **Chipiam: Why is that? You're the first person to say that for this story…**

 **Guest: Thanks!**

 **Tat5934: Agreed. George isn't my favorite character but he's so nice with the patients that I had to give a George/Atlanta moment. Are you surprised? I was too. But I feel like Denny wasn't all this…he wasn't the best guy when he was upset. He was hurting and lashing out, and I find it's common that spouses get overlooked because the other is sick or hurting. So, Denny lashes out at Atlanta and she takes it but only because she knows that he's hurting which isn't right, as I believe George sort of explains to her. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Anyway, I hope to hear more from you guys. I write up replies here for comments because some people are guests and you can't answer them, and some reviews are too short to start a conversation about, so here, I can reply to everybody. I think someone asked me that once, some time ago… oh well. So please review and let me know your thoughts! I love you guys! Give me suggestions for what should happen next. Should Denny get the heart or should Izzie cut his LVAD wire?**

 **Xoxo,**

 **Nerdy~**


	6. Fight Song

**Distraction**

 **Chapter 6: Fight Song**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy.**

 **~x~**

It was time.

It was the moment everyone was waiting for.

Denny would be getting his new heart.

However, Atlanta was getting nervous. What if Denny's body rejected the heart? What if the surgery didn't work? So many thoughts were running through her head as she stood beside her husband who was beyond excited. She kept silently praying that things would work out, that Denny would be okay, and that he would live to meet their Imogen and watch her grow up.

Doctor Burke was going over the surgery in detail, whilst Atlanta gripped onto her husband's hand, worry written on her pale face.

"He'll be alright, right Doctor Burke?" Atlanta asked, her voice wobbling as she focused on the other man.

Doctor O'Malley stood silently beside the Attending, face blank and eyes unreadable. All Atlanta could think about was Denny dying on the table and leaving her a widow.

"If everything goes as planned," Doctor Burke replied. "Are you ready, Denny? Doctor O'Malley will ready you for surgery while I go with Doctor Karev to collect the heart. You'll be ready to have the heart go straight into your chest and baring no complications, you should be as good as new and able to go with your wife to her next appointment."

Denny turned his attention back to his shaking wife. "Hear that doll, I should be as good as new. Maybe as a reward, I should get the chance to top, eh?" Denny said in a joking voice. She couldn't stop the way her face heated up because her husband had made an innuendo about their sex life… in front of his doctors.

"Denny!" Atlanta blushed, squeezing his hand before she looked anywhere except at the two doctors.

"What? It's a serious question!" Denny defended his question, but he was wearing that goofy smile that always played on his wife's emotions. She rolled her eyes goodheartedly. Denny turned to the doctors who looked like they had heard it all. "She's just embarrassed is all, which I don't get. She's great in bed."

Atlanta squeaked in embarrassment before she swatted his arm. "No more from you!"

The doctors laughed softly. "Mrs. Duquette, I believe it's time for Doctor O'Malley to ready Denny. I'm going to go catch my plane." Doctor Burke nodded to the blushing woman before he disappeared to collect Doctor Karev whom would be joining him.

Doctor O'Malley moved forward to ready Denny, making a point not to stare at the blushing woman.

"Why the long face, baby doll?" Denny asked, letting O'Malley have his arm to draw blood.

Atlanta shot him a small glare. "You can't say stuff like that in front of people, Denny. They are your doctors!" She pointed out with a small huff.

"Oh, there's no issue, Atlanta. We've heard it all." Doctor O'Malley reassured her.

Atlanta sighed in defeat before she turned to her husband. "Even if you're an idiot, I still love you." She leaned down to kiss his cheek.

~x~

Doctor O'Malley had left to give them some privacy before he took Denny into the surgery room. Atlanta was pacing the small bedroom as she tried to settle her nerves. Denny was getting annoyed with her pacing but he didn't have the heart to stop her.

"When I get out of here, let's go to Venice and get away. Make love on a beach or something." Denny blurted out, which made his wife pause. "We never did get to have a proper honey moon 'cause of my heart. And I'd hate to keep you from experiencing the whole thing of being married."

Atlanta moved to sit down on the side of his bed, taking his hand and letting out a small sigh. "As much as that sounds lovely, all I want is to bring you home. I wanna hold you at night and wake up beside you in the morning." She leaned forward to whisper into his ear. "And I sure wouldn't mind waking up to morning sex."

"Holy hell," Denny gulped as he thought of taking his wife in the morning, her drowsy with sleep but so willing. He could see it all and it made him want her that much more. "I want that too."

"Can we get a dog?" Atlanta asked, changing the subject before her husband got into an awkward position.

At this point, he would agree to anything. "Whatever you want, baby girl."

She shivered at the nickname, having not heard it in some time. She swallowed before she laid her head down onto the bed to let Denny run his fingers through her hair. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

~x~

Izzie felt robbed. After she had been kicked off of Denny's case, she had been sentenced to scut and hadn't been allowed on another case since. Doctor Bailey said it wasn't her doing, as it had come straight from the Chief himself, and ain't nobody fighting the Chief's decision.

To make matters worse, Alex had come to see her in the tunnels and had rubbed it in that he was getting to go assist in a heart retrieval. Meredith had tried to up him with her own surgery that she had with Derek, but everyone knew how uncomfortable Meredith was with Derek. Derek was just following her around like a puppy, hoping to get back into her good graces.

There was also the fact that Meredith was seeing Finn the Vet. Cristina had a fun time making fun of her for that.

Izzie frowned as she watched her boy toy run off when he was paged by Burke. It should have been her! She was the one who had been taking care of Denny since he had arrived!

"What's with the long face, barbie?" Cristina asked, face stuffed with her sandwich. She had been on-call last night and it was her first chance to eat in eight hours.

Izzie scowled at the Asian woman and crossed her arms. "I was taken off Denny's case."

Meredith peeped up, "I heard Mrs. Duquette caught you making out with Denny."

"Shut up Mere!" Izzie frowned, feeling her cheeks redden at the memory of kissing Denny. His lips had been so soft, softer than she would have originally thought. It made her want to kiss him again. "We weren't making out… we kissed."

Cristina and Meredith looked at each other with concern written on both of their faces. "Isn't that sort of… against the law?" Cristina asked, giving the blonde a weird look.

"I don't care! I love Denny!" Izzie blurted, before she realized what she had said and the gravity of it. She loved Denny. She wanted Denny. She needed to see him right now to find to find out if he shared her feelings.

Meredith swallowed. "Izzie… husbands don't leave their wives. Trust me. It'll just hurt you in the end." Meredith pointed out.

"And I've seen them together, Denny loves Mrs. Duquette. There isn't a chance for you." Cristina also added, giving the blonde a long look.

Izzie didn't care. She just knew that she wanted Denny and she was going to do whatever it took to get him back, no matter who it hurt.

~x~

"I love you. You better come back alive."

"No promises," Denny responded with a cheeky grin. "Unless of course you promise to wear my favorite number…"

Atlanta blushed as she leaned down to kiss his nose. "I'll wear whatever you want as long as you come back to me alive."

They shared a kiss as George waited to take Denny up to surgery. Burke had said that he and Alex were on their way with the heart. Apparently, the whole surgery had gone off without a hitch.

"I love you too, baby doll." Denny whispered against her lips before he was wheeled away. And so, began the worst few hours of Atlanta's life.

~x~

Izzie ran as fast as she could to the surgery hallway, trying to catch Denny before he entered the sterile room. She saw George pushing the bed off of the elevator and she felt like fate was on her side.

"George! Wait!" Izzie shouted as she pushed her screaming legs just a little bit further.

George looked around as he pushed Denny further into the hallway. He spotted Izzie whom looked like she was ready to murder somebody. "Izzie?" Denny found himself asking, remembering the last time he had been face to face with the blonde. He also remembered Atlanta's rage. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you." Izzie blurted, looking at the sickly man. "I need to tell you something."

"I'm kinda going into surgery." Denny gestured to his body. "And my wife doesn't want me talking to you."

Izzie frowned, whilst George looked uncomfortable. "Izzie, I have to go…" George tried but she pushed forward anyway.

"I love you Denny! I want you to choose me! Not her!" Izzie gasped, feeling like if she didn't say it now, then she never would get the chance to.

Denny looked even more uncomfortable. "Izzie… I love my wife. She means the world to me… and right now, I need to go get my new heart so that we can be together and raise our daughter together. Doctor O'Malley, if you please." Denny spoke softly and calmly to Izzie before he turned to George.

George nodded and started to push the bed again.

Izzie was stunned by the rejection before she followed. "I want you more than she does! I love you more!"

He didn't look so convinced. He knew what he had to do. "Doctor Stevens, you are no longer my doctor and I would like to get to my surgery." He spoke calmly but he was feeling upset. Once upon a time, he would have considered being with Izzie, maybe even marrying her if she wanted him, but he had Atlanta, and he loved her more than he loved life itself. He wouldn't betray her again.

Izzie let herself be pushed aside as she stood there completely stunned.

Where had she gone wrong?

~x~

Time ticked by slowly, leaving Atlanta staring at the clock as she waited for Doctor Burke or Doctor O'Malley to come back to her with news. It had been four hours already since they had taken Denny into surgery and it was leaving her feeling nervous. Atlanta ran a hand over her baby bump, as she thought of her husband.

What if Denny wasn't okay?

What if he didn't react well to the heart?

What if he died on the table?

Atlanta closed her eyes as she tried to settle her stomach and her thoughts, but all she could think of was her husband. Each time that she heard the doors open, she would perk up in hopes that it was Denny's doctors coming out to tell her that he was fine, but it wasn't. It never was.

When the clock reached dinner time, Atlanta could feel her stomach rumbling and she knew that she needed to get something to eat before she passed out from lack of energy. But, as she pulled her body from the seat, hands trembling, she heard her name.

"Atlanta!"

She whipped her head around and spotted George, looking bright and it was like her whole body tensed. She could only think of her Denny. What if he wasn't okay?

"Is Denny okay?" Atlanta asked, moving forward as she tried to think positive but she kept imaging his dead body.

George smiled as she reached him and he offered her his hands. "Denny's okay. He's in the ICU so that we can keep an eye on him for the night, and then he should be back in his room tomorrow if everything goes well." George saw her shoulders slump in relief. "Would you like to see him?"

Atlanta nodded quickly as she took hold of his hand. "Please."

"Right this way, Mrs. Duquette. Your husband is waiting for you."

~x~

As she walked to her husband's room, Atlanta focused on breathing. George talked enough for the both of them so she didn't feel the need to talk to him, and she was thankful for that.

She heard her husband's voice when they were mere steps away from the door.

"Where's my wife?" He slurred.

Atlanta pushed forward and rushed to Denny's side, pushing open the door to find her husband laying on the bed with a bandage on his chest and he looked half asleep. Denny locked eyes with her and then she was running forward, tears filling her eyes.

"Denny!" She reached his side and took hold of his hand. "How are you feeling, jellybean? Does anything hurt?"

"I'm fine, baby doll." Denny replied, his voice slurred and slowed. Atlanta knew that it had to do with him being put under for his surgery.

She gripped onto his hand, feeling her tears flood her eyes. She kissed his hand, lowering her head to meet his skin. She glanced over at Doctor Burke with hope in her eyes. "Is Denny gonna be okay?"

Doctor Burke smiled at her, looking almost hopeful himself. "If all goes well, I believe that Denny will live a long and happy life."

~x~

 **Surprise! I'm alive!**

 **I'd like to say that I am** _ **so sorry**_ **about not updating** _ **anything**_ **in such a long time! I just recently started my second year of Biology and I've been so busy. During the summer, I was working full time and didn't have the time to write. I decided to write recently so that I could properly finish this story. I might also get back into my other stories,** _ **Guilty Survivor**_ **and** _ **The Heart Wants What It Wants**_ **.**

 **But, I'd like to thank you for returning and waiting for this long-awaited update, for sticking around, and for those who reviewed and gave me the boost I needed to get back into writing. Thank you. *heart***

 **REVIEWS**

Purplemonkey36: I do too and during this chapter, Denny does! Yay!

Chipiam: Thank you!

Emilee: I ship Dlanta hard too and I can't wait to see Denny as a daddy :)

Animexchick: I don't think I will add that drama because I feel like Denny deserved more than he did on the show. He was a great guy who died because of Izzie. Obviously, I'm bitter.

Irisdietrich: Same tho!

 **Thank you for all who reviewed. It made my day. And I can't wait to press complete for this story. Depending on my mood, I think we have either one more chapter left AND the epilogue or just the epilogue left to go.**

 **What do you guys want?**

 **Anyway, I should probs go and finish my pre-cal assignment. *Insert sigh***

 **I love you guys!**

 **Xoxo,**

 **Nerdy ~**


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